Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная
лингвистика
и
лингводидактика
–
Foreign
Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Journal home page:
https://inscience.uz/index.php/foreign-linguistics
Classroom research: teaching speaking to primary school
pupils in English
Malika MUTALLIEVA
1
Namangan State University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received September 2024
Received in revised form
10 October 2024
Accepted 25 October 2024
Available online
15 November 2024
This article presents classroom research on teaching English
to primary school pupils. The study incorporates methods such
as storytelling, role-playing, and interactive games to enhance
pupils' speaking skills. The results demonstrate that student-
centered and engaging activities significantly contribute to the
improvement of speaking abilities.
2181-3701
/©
2024 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-3701-vol2-iss6-pp58-62
This is an open-access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru
Keywords:
speaking,
primary school,
classroom research,
methods,
vocabulary development.
Sinf tadqiqoti: boshlang‘ich sinf o‘quvchilariga ingliz tilida
gapirishni o‘rgatish
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar
:
nutq,
boshlang
‘
ich sinf,
sinf tadqiqoti,
metodlar,
so
‘
z boyligini oshirish.
Ushbu maqolada boshlang‘ich sinf o‘quvchilariga ingliz tilida
gapirishni o‘rgatish
jarayoniga oid sinf tadqiqoti yoritiladi.
Tadqiqot jarayonida o‘quvchilarning nutqiy ko‘nikmalarini
rivojlantirishga qaratilgan hikoya qilish, rolli o‘yinlar va
interaktiv o‘yinlar kabi metodlardan foydalanildi. Natijalar shuni
ko'rsatadiki, o‘quvchi shaxs
iga qaratilgan qiziqarli mashg'ulotlar
nutq qobiliyatini sezilarli darajada shakllantiradi.
1
PhD Student, Namangan State University. E-mail: malikamutallieva@gmail.com
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue
–
2
№
6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
59
Исследование
в
классе:
обучение
говорению
в начальной школе на английском языке
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
говорение,
начальная школа,
исследование в классе,
методы,
развитие словарного
запаса.
В
статье
представлено
исследование
методов
преподавания английского языка ученикам начальной
школы.
Рассматриваются
такие
подходы,
как
рассказывание историй, ролевые игры и интерактивные
упражнения, направленные на развитие навыков устной
речи у детей. Результаты исследования демонстрируют, что
ориентированные на учащихся и увлекательные занятия
значительно
способствуют
улучшению
их
коммуникативных навыков.
INTRODUCTION
Speaking is an essential component of language acquisition, yet it remains difficult
to teach successfully in primary schools. Primary pupils frequently experience fear, limited
vocabulary, and a lack of confidence in communicating. This action research explores
obstacles in teaching speaking to primary pupils, implements techniques to improve
pupils' speaking skills, and evaluates the success of these methods for future use. The study
involved 30 pupils aged 7
–
9 years in a primary school.
This action research answers the following research questions:
–
What challenges do primary school pupils face when developing speaking skills in
English?
–
Which teaching strategies are most effective for improving speaking among
primary school learners?
LITERATURE REVIEW
There have been many studies on exploring the issues and challenges that
schoolchildren encounter when teaching speaking in English classes. Those studies outline
the following obstacles such as schoolchildren may be afraid of speaking or making
mistakes, have wrong pronunciation, which might lead to criticism of the teacher and
peers; the learner might lack the necessary comprehensive understanding (rules,
terminology, etc.), adequate linguistic abilities to appropriately construct a statement in
English or having lack of motivation, etc. Shin and Crandall (2014) identified common
challenges, such as pupils' fear of making mistakes, limited exposure to authentic language,
and the pressure to focus on accuracy over fluency. However, many studies indicate that
teachers should prioritize engaging and active participatory foreign language lessons,
conduct foreign language lessons effectively, interact with children, and encourage them
to use the language in the target language. Cameron (2001) emphasizes the importance of
early oral skills development as the foundation for literacy and advanced language skills.
Speaking activities at the primary level should integrate fun, interactive elements to
maintain learners' interest and motivation. Cameron (2001) suggests the activities that
support the development of speaking skills in young learners are songs, chants, role plays,
and drama because they provide authentic language and real-world context that make
language learning meaningful, motivating, and useful. In many studies, interactive
methods such as role-playing, storytelling, and collaborative games are widely
recommended (Ellis & Brewster, 2014). These methods reduce anxiety and encourage
natural communication, making them suitable for primary learners.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue
–
2
№
6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
60
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
For this action research, the following data collection tools were used: to monitor
pupils’ participation during the lessons, the lessons were observed by colleagues, to
explore pupils’ perceptions of the activities, pupils’ feedback respon
ses were collected
(exit tickets) and performance assessments were used to evaluate improvements in
fluency, vocabulary, and confidence.
FINDINGS
During the classroom observations, several challenges were found out that hindered
the development of speaking skills in primary school learners:
–
Many pupils lacked the necessary vocabulary to express their ideas, leading to
hesitation or reliance on their first language.
–
Many pupils avoided speaking due to fear of making errors, which reduced their
willingness to participate in activities.
–
Shyness and low self-esteem often prevented pupils from actively engaging in
speaking tasks.
–
Pupils had limited opportunities to hear and practice English in real-life contexts,
impacting their fluency.
–
Pupils had pronunciation errors, particularly with unfamiliar sounds, which posed
a challenge for many learners.
–
Pupils were often overly focused on grammatical correctness, which slowed down
their ability to speak fluently.
–
The traditional classroom setup sometimes failed to provide sufficient interactive
activities for practicing speaking.
Key challenges observed in the lessons
Challenge
Frequency
Observed
Impact on Learning
Limited vocabulary
70%
Hindered ability to express thoughts.
Fear of making mistakes
60%
Reduced participation in speaking
tasks.
Low confidence
55%
Limited engagement in group activities.
Limited opportunities for
interaction
35%
Missed chances for practical practice.
This table summarizes the identified in teaching speaking skills to primary school
pupils and take new actions to bring changes into the classroom. New actions involved
implementing storytelling, role-playing, and interactive games.
Implementation Timeline
Week
Activity
Focus
Objective
Week
1
Storytelling
Narrative fluency
Build storytelling confidence and
creativity.
Week
2
Role-playing (Market)
Vocabulary and
confidence
Practice real-life conversation phrases.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue
–
2
№
6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
61
Week
3
Interactive Game
(Guess)
Descriptive language
Encourage spontaneous and creative
speaking.
Week
4
Combined Activities
Fluency and accuracy
Reinforce skills and assess progress.
Storytelling activity:
The Magic Adventure
Preparation
–
Create a simple story framework (e.g., a character finding a magical object).
–
Prepare visuals (pictures of characters, places, and objects).
Implementation
1.
Divide the class into small groups.
2.
Provide each group with a set of images related to the story.
3.
Begin the story with an introductory sentence (e.g., "Once upon a time, a boy
found a magical key...").
4.
Encourage each group to collaboratively continue the story by adding one
sentence at a time.
After the activity, each group presents their version of the story to the class. The
teacher provides positive feedback, emphasizing pupils' creativity and use of new
vocabulary.
Role-Playing activity:
Shopping at the Market
Preparation
–
Prepare props such as fake fruits, vegetables, and a cash register.
–
Teach relevant vocabulary (e.g., “How much is this?”, “I’d like to buy...”).
Implementation
1.
Assign roles: some pupils act as shopkeepers, others as customers.
2.
Provide short dialogues as examples, but encourage pupils to improvise.
3.
Rotate roles to ensure every student participates as both shopkeeper and
customer.
At the end of the activity, pupils discuss what phrases they found useful or difficult.
This reflection helps them internalize the language used.
Interactive Games Activity:
Guess the Word
Preparation
–
Write words or phrases related to familiar topics (e.g., animals, weather) on cards.
–
Ensure the vocabulary is age-appropriate and relevant to recent lessons.
Implementation
1.
One student selects a card without showing it to others.
2.
The student describes the word using clues, while classmates guess. For example,
if the word is "elephant," clues might include "It is a big animal," "It has a trunk."
3.
Set a timer to make the game more exciting.
After the game, pupils discuss the words they found easy or hard to describe. The
teacher reviews strategies for giving effective clues.
DISCUSSION
While implementing storytelling, pupils participated in group storytelling exercises.
They demonstrated higher fluency when retelling parts of the story. Additionally, the
collaborative setting boosted confidence and peer learning. 80% of pupils demonstrated
improved fluency and better narrative skills.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Issue
–
2
№
6 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
62
Role-playing significantly improved pupils' confidence. They became more willing
to use new vocabulary and phrases without fear of making mistakes. For example, pupils
enacted everyday scenarios like "shopping" or "visiting a zoo." Role-playing increased
vocabulary usage by 60% and confidence by 70%.
Interactive games created a lively and competitive atmosphere. Pupils practiced
speaking without overthinking grammar or accuracy, leading to greater fluency and
reduced speaking anxiety. While activities like "Guess the Word" and "Find Your Partner"
were incorporated, games significantly reduced anxiety and encouraged spontaneous
speaking. The table below shows the comparative impact of these strategies:
Activity
Fluency Improvement Confidence Increase Vocabulary Growth
Storytelling
70%
60%
50%
Role-playing
80%
70%
60%
Interactive Games
65%
85%
55%
The findings confirm that student-centered, engaging activities effectively address
primary learners' speaking challenges. However, a balanced focus on fluency and accuracy
remains essential. Pupils were more active and eager to participate when activities
included a playful or imaginative element. Repeating similar activities over several weeks
allowed pupils to master phrases and improve fluency. While fluency was prioritized
during activities, error correction was gently introduced in reflective sessions, ensuring
pupils improved without discouragement.
CONCLUSION
Teaching speaking in primary school requires innovative and adaptive approaches.
This action research demonstrates that storytelling, role-playing, and interactive games
foster fluency, confidence, and vocabulary. These methods can be adapted to suit different
classroom contexts, ensuring young learners develop foundational speaking skills
essential for language proficiency.
REFERENCES:
1.
Cameron, L. (2001).
Teaching Languages to Young Learners
. Cambridge University
Press.
2.
Ellis, G., & Brewster, J. (2014).
Tell It Again! The Storytelling Handbook for Primary
English Language Teachers
. British Council.
3.
Shin, J. K., & Crandall, J. (2014).
Teaching Young Learners English: From Theory to
Practice
. National Geographic Learning.
4.
Harmer, J. (2007).
The Practice of English Language Teaching
. Pearson Longman.
5.
Richards, J. C. (2008).
Teaching Listening and Speaking: From Theory to Practice
.
Cambridge University Press.
